Joseph l



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. L. 00X.

PAPER SPLITTING AND FOLDING MACHINE. No. 451,459. Patented May 5,1891.

WJZ/VES'E-S' INVENTOfZ W if (No Model.) 2 She-ets-Sheet 2.

J. L. 00X. PAPER SPLITTING AND FOLDING MAGHINB.

No. 451,459. V Patented May 5,1891.

wzzjmssz's [WE/V7072 i W 33 w UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH L. COX, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, -ASSIGNOR TO THE DUPLEX PRINTING PRESS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PAPER S PLITTING AND FOLDING MACHINE] SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,459, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed November 1, 1 889. Renewed October 2, 1890. Serial No. 366,828. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JOSEPH L. COX, of Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification, in which.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a folding-machine, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the deflector. Fig. 8 is a transverse detail sectional view of the deflector and the main rollers, showing the parts adjusted for folding two folio sheets. Fig. 4: is a detail end view, part in section, showing the parts adjusted for folding a quarto sheet. Fig. 5 is a detail of the delivery-tapes. v

This invention is an improvement in paperfolding machines especially designed for use in connection with newspaper or book printing presses wherein the printing is done on quarto sheets, the forms being made, if desired, to imprint on the quarto sheet duplicate matter for two four-page papers, or matter for one eight-page paper; and the object of the invention is to mechanically divide the quarto sheet and fold it as one eight-page paper or as two independent four-page papers; and to this end the invent-ion consists in a novel combination of splitters for dividing the quarto sheet transversely, and in a pair of opposite folding tapes and rollers, and an automatic switch or deflector by which the halves of the sheet are directed into tapes at opposite sides of the machine to be directed into independent foldin'g-machines, and in a switching mechanism by which both halves are directed together into one of these systems of folding-tapes to be folded together into the form of an eight-page paper, all of which will be clearly understood from the following description and claims.

In the drawings, A A represent delivery tapes, which receive the printed sheets from the press (not shown) and bring them forward in the direction of the arrows until they around cylinder C and to a folder.

are stopped by guides 'B B, as shown, which extend transversely of the tapes.

C C designate cylinders lying parallel with and below tapes A A and near the center thereof. The peripheries of these cylinders do nottouch, however, and they revolve in opposite directions at right angles to the line of travel of the tapes A A. The cylinders C C are driven by means of gears c c on their outer ends, which mesh with driving-gears E E, which intermesh, and to which power is applied in any suitable manner from the main shaft or engine. (Not shown.)

D D are tapes running around cylinder C and out in a lateral direction, as indicated by 6 5 d d are tapes coacting with tapes D D and running on pulleys F F on a shaft G, lying parallel with and below and between cylindersC C, and d d are similar tapes coacting with tapes D D and running over pulleys ff on shaft G, intermediate between pulleys F F. As the tapes d cl move in opposite directions, the pulleys Ff must be loosely mounted on shaft G.

The mechanism for driving, the several tapes referred to does not form part of my invention, nor do the folding-machines referred to, as any skilled mechanic could read- ,ily comprehend the nature of and practically adapt my invention to machines now in use.

Above and between cylinders C C is a 1101- low pilot or deflector H, which is roughly triangular in cross-section,withits pointed edge extending down partly between the cylinders C C. The inner edge of deflector H is preferably pointed or wedge-shaped, as at It, Fig.

2, so as to separate a sheet of paper brought forward by tapes A A which has been previously slitin its central line by means of slitters I i, mounted on proper shafts and located directly in front of the end of deflector H, as

shown, in such position that a sheet of paper passing thereunder on tapes A A will be divided, as indicated.

Above deflector H is an air-blower J, the

fanof which is driven by suitable belting I00 from a proper power, and this blower commu nieates with the hollow interior of deflector II by a short pipej to force air therein. The air escapes from the deflector through perforations 7L 7t in the sides thereof, which cause the air to jet outward and downward against the peripheries of cylinders O C, as is evident.

K K are rollers lying parallel with cylinders O C at each side of deflector II and mounted in vibrating brackets or arms 7t 7;, as shown, by rocking which rollers K K can be thrown into or out of contact with the peripheries of cylinders C C,respectively. The rollers are operated at the proper times by means of pitman-rods L L, connected to arms 7: It" and to wrist-pins Z Z 011 gears E E, respectively. Below the deflector H and above shaft G is a hinged 'or rocking switch-blade M, which is mounted on an arm N, carrying a bolt n, engaging aslotted bracket 0, secured to a proper fixed support, by which, when switch M has been shifted to any position desired, it can be locked in such position.

P designates a slide-plate which can be slipped between switch M when the latter is set vertical, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, and is supported on said switch and between cylinders C 0, its upper and lower edges being grooved or notched, as indicated, to engage the pointed upper edges of switch-blade M and lower edge of deflector H, as shown.

The parts being constructed and arranged substantially as before described, the operation thereof is about as follows: A sheet of paper XV from the press is brought forward on tapes A A toward cylinders C C. As the sheet passes between slitters I i it is divided centrally, and as the severed sheet is moved forward toward and over the cylinders the deflector ll, lying directly in the line of the cut made by slitters I 2', deflects the edges of the portions apart, turning the edge of one of the severed portions down toward cylinder 0, while the adjoining edge of the opposite portion is turned down toward cylinder 0, as indicated in the drawings. The air-jets from the deflector materially assist in thus deflecting the paper edges properly. When the severed sheet has been brought to a stop against guides 13 1 the rollers K K are simultaneously depressed, the mechanism being properly timed to depress these rollers only when the severed sheets arebrought up to the guides and binding the sheets against the cylinders U C the sheets are drawn down and around with tapes D D, the slide P directing the edge of the sheet down beneath the proper cylinder until it is caught between tapes 1) (Z or D d, by which the sheets are carried out in opposite directions to proper folding mechanism. (Not shown.) The rollers K K are raised in time to permit a fresh sheet of paper to be brought forward above the cylinders by tapes A A. This mechanism, it will be observed, sevcrs the sheet and sends the opposite halves in different directions, so that if the original sheet contained matter for two four-page papers they could be separated and folded distinctly. Now by removing slide P and shifting switch M so that it will nearly touch either of the cylinders C C the edge of the sheet descending around the cylinder adjoining the edge of the blade will be caught by the switch and directed under the opposite cylinder simultaneously with the sheet descending around that cylinder, as indicatedin Fig. 4, and both sheets carried out at the same side of the machine by the same tapes laid one upon the otheryso that the folder that would fold the single sheet will operate equally and similarly upon the double sheet-that is, told both togetherso that it the original sheet contained matter for an eight-page paper the same can be severed and folded in one operation. The cut made by slitters I 'i on the original sheet is on the line where the tops of the pages in an eight-page paper would unite, and hence when the sheets leave the machine there is no necessity of running them through another cutting-machine to sever the paper sheets at top or for trimming the tops of the pages.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent thereon, is

1. In a machine for dividing sheets of pa per, the combination of a set of deliverytapes, a pair of cylinders below and parallel to said tapes and the tapes running on said cylinders at right angles to the delivery-tapes, with an angular wedge-pointed deflectorlocated between and partly above said cylinders, and the slitters in front of said deflector, whereby a sheet of paper brought forward by the delivery-tapes is divided into two pieces which are directed by the deflector and cylinders into the lower delivery-tapes, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a machine for dividing sheets of paper, the combination of a set of main delivery-tapes, a pair of cylinders below said delivery-tapes, and the tapes running upon said cylinders and in opposite directions, with the deflector located above and between the cylinders, the slitters in front of said deflector, and the adjustable switch below said deflector, the parts being so arranged that a sheet of paper brought forward by the delivery-tapes is divided by the slitters and its opposite halves carried downward by the tapes 011 the cylinders and either carried to opposite sides of the machine or switched to the same side, for the purpose and substantially as described.

The combination of the tapes A A, the cylinders (l G, and the tapes D Dand d (1 with the deflector II, the blower, and the switchblade below the deflector and between the cylinders, substantially as and for the purpose described.

-t-. The combination of the tapes A A, the stopguidesli D, the cylinders C C below said tapes, and the tapes DD and d d with the hollow deflector H, and the slide P and supports vtherefor, and slitters I 2', all constructed and arranged to operate substan- 5 tially as described.

5. The combination of the delivery-tapes A A, the cylinders C C, the tapes-D D and (Z d, and the rollers K K with the slit-ters I z, the deflector H, and the switch M, all con- IO structed substantially as described.

two witnesses.

Witnesses:

A. E. DoWELL, P. Z. BROOKS.

JOSEPH L. COX. 

